Wayne Rainey, a living MotoGP legend, made a surprise appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2022. Alongside racing legends Kenny Roberts, Kevin Schwantz, and Mick Doohan, Rainey rode his 1992 championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 at the event. This was a special moment not only for the racing fans but also for Rainey himself. He never expected to ride his championship-winning bike again. Thanks to Yamaha’s three-year project, his dream became a reality.

In this video, Rainey talks about the experience and the technical details that made this ride possible. Due to his paraplegia, Rainey can only feel the handlebars when he’s on the bike. To ride again, he needed hand-operated button controls to shift gears. Yamaha made modifications so that operating the clutch lever allows him to shift. It took some getting used to, but Rainey was thrilled to get back on the bike.

Other considerations included mountain bike-style pedal clips to secure his boots on the pegs and a special tank pad that provided support and improved his connection to the bike. These modifications ensured that Rainey’s legs stayed in the right position and gave him more control over the bike’s movements.

Although Rainey was used to having a dedicated pit crew and technical staff in professional racing, his appearance at Goodwood was not drastically different. The crew positioned the bike, and once Rainey was ready, he would signal to the person holding the bike, and they would step aside as he rode away.